Blog Post

It is inevitable. For the next couple of months, the majority of what you will hear about at the box is that it is OPEN SEASON! And, if you’re new to CrossFit, you’re probably wondering what is this and what’s the big deal? And why are my coaches crazy enough to think I should participate?

The CrossFit Open begins February 22. For 5 weeks, CrossFit HQ will release a workout for anyone to complete. Besides the RX version, there are scaled, teen and masters options. While The Open is a way for CrossFit to weed out the best of the best to go into regionals and then the Games, for our box, we see it as a fun community competition. Whether you’re a veteran CrossFitter, or a newbie, we think it is a great experience for any and all of our athletes. This is why we highly encourage each and every one of you, no matter your length of time CrossFitting or your skill level to challenge yourself and sign up. Through The Open website, you can compare yourself to those regionally and around the world, as well as by age, or affiliate.

At the same time though, we get that looking at the Open and all it entails can be very intimidating. None of us know what we are signing up for when we sign up for the open. HQ can throw out whatever movements in a WOD that they want, it can be for time or not, and even the scaled option can be difficult. So, we spoke with Chelsey about her Open experience last year. When Open season began in 2017, Chelsey had just started CrossFit at our box the month before.

Why did you decide to sign up for the open? I decided to sign up for the open to push myself and to become more familiar with CrossFit. Also, most of the gym members were competing so I wanted to too.

Going into it, did you have any preconceived notions? What were they? I was worried I would not be able to complete the workout(s). I did not really know what to expect, and was reluctant at first. The coaches encouraged me to sign up and continued to encourage me along the way.

What about The Open made you want to participate again this year? I chose to participate again this year because I want to continue to push myself. Last year, I performed much better than I thought I would and discovered my strengths as well as my weaknesses. This year, I hope to improve.

What was your favorite moment from The Open? My favorite moment from The Open was when I finished The Open. I had knee surgery that year and my goal was to get my strength back. It was mentally and physically a big accomplishment for me and the open definitely helped me.

Least favorite? Burpees.

During The Open, was there a moment that you surprised yourself with what you could do? Yes. In the middle of a workout I completed my first double under.

What is the best part about doing The Open? Watching competitors cheer each other on and executing a new movement during a workout.

Why should someone new to CrossFit sign up for The Open? Someone new should sign up because it allows you to push yourself. Also, you’ll find a healthy competition with another competitor.

Advice for anyone new doing The Open? Don’t be afraid or intimidated. Just compete and have fun!

We can’t and don’t force any of our members to compete in The Open. So, please know that when we encourage you to compete in The Open, it is because we want you to be a part of our community. We really come together as a box during this time. Our own coaches and members who complete the judges course watch each participant for movement standards and proper rep counts. Thursday nights, when that week’s WOD is announced, we have 2-3 athletes go head to head. And, a lot of times on Saturday, when most people complete the Open WOD for the week, we bring out the grills and just have a great time. Don’t be scared if you’re new. We want to cheer for you. We want to see you impress yourself. We want to share one of our favorite parts of the CrossFit community at large with you.